Year of the Tiger

I know, I know, I said I would next post after New Year and, well, yes, I realise that we're almost into week two already. But here it is, the first blog of 2010, Chinese year of the tiger. I find this rather ironic as the Chinese pay high prices for parts of the endangered tiger for use in their medicine, and yet they pay homage to it in this year. Mind you, I've regularly had a rant about the Chinese, especially their human rights issues, and don't get me started on Tibet!

Oh, that feels better. A wee rant to start off the year!

Looking back on the end of 2009 I had a great time in the closing weeks. Christmas for me was one of the very best of all time. I can't really explain why.

I can tell you the elements that made it up; the great food, particularly good this year and cooked by my own fair hand; the great presents that I both received and gave, having spent time finding just the right ones, or in one case making it, and thoroughly enjoying giving them; visiting friends and they in turn visiting me; walks in the winter wonderland thanks to all the great snowfall, not to mention building a giant snowman; the smile on everyone's face as a white Christmas reminded them of years gone by, for some happier times. Maybe it was everything combining perfectly to make it just so, or maybe it was just the simple fact that I shared it with the most important people in my life, my friends.

As last year, I made an electronic Christmas card and sent that out whilst giving the money I would have spent on cards and postage to the Disasters Emergency Committee in response to their latest appeal for the devastating result of the earthquake and typhoon that hit East Asia in September. Like many people I give at that time of year to those more in need, but I often question myself if it is out of generosity or an attempt to appease my own guilt over what I have and they don't. Who knows. Maybe there's a lot going on there.

2009 was a successful film year for me, and I've hit the ground running this year with new pitches and films in the pipeline just in this first week, on top of a big film due for completion in June that I am still heavily involved with.

2010 has started well with a terrific, if not a little incident-packed, trip to the Scottish highlands to ski on the 6th January. The rest of 2010 is starting to look quite exciting too;

I'm planning a big motorcycle trip around mid-way through 2010. Currently the route takes me from Edinburgh, down through France to the Mediterranean coast, east via Monaco and into Italy, down the west coast via Pisa, inland to Florence, onto the Amalfi coast and finally across to Sicily. There is a ferry service that runs from Sicily that will take me back to Marseilles from where I'll then drive home. A round trip of 3000 miles, not counting the ferry journey. I dare say I'll be blogging as I go, and hopefully this trip will have no crashes to report.

There's a large personal construction project in the planning stages; a feature script to rewrite, and a completely new concept for a film in development.

All in all this is shaping up to be a busy year, with the first 6 months already filled! There are challenges ahead too that will need to be faced, and one which is potentially life changing, but I'll deal with that as it presents itself.

My best wishes go out to all my readers, and I'm looking forward to sharing the journey of 2010 with you, as well as the occasional rant.